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RainAndSadness

RainAndSadness

Administrator
Jun 12, 2018
2,072
This is an informative megathread about the right to die and progress on a political or social level. I'm gonna post some recent victories and breakthrough around the world and I will continuously update it with new information because we're making progress. You can also use this thread to discuss this subject or post information regarding this issue.

The European Court of Human Rights established that suicide is an "expression of individual autonomy" and also made clear that it isn't the responsibility of the state to prevent suicide but "solely to ensure the quality of the suicidal will to die, to protect his freedom and to prevent abuses in a state of weakness".



The constitutional court of Germany ruled in 2020 that assisted suicide is a civil right and made clear that the right to die isn't "restriced to serious or terminal diseases or specific phases of life or of a disease". It would contradict the fact that the right to die "is rooted in human dignity" and therefore does "NOT require any additional explanation or justification". The court also made clear that the right to die "also includes the right to seek and use voluntarily offered help to do so".

In my opinion, this is one of the most important court ruling regarding the right to die.



The constitutional court of Austria declared the ban on assisted suicide illegal because it violates the right to self-determination. According to the court, the right to die must include the right to seek help from a third party. The provision will come into force in December 2021.



Spain legalized assisted suicide in 2021.



The constitutional court of Portugal blocked a law regarding assisted suicide not because they disagree with the right to die on principle but because the law wasn't clear enough under which circumstances people are allowed to leave and what counts as "extreme suffering". So the law was meant to be open without many strictly defined regulations - similar to the Swiss situation I guess - but there will be another attempt to pass a law regarding assisted suicide. The court said that the "right to life can't be transfigured into a duty to live under any circumstances". These comments are very progressive and according to some politicians "a great victory for civilization".



In Italy people are currently collecting signatures for a petition. They already have over 750'000 signatures, which is enough for a public vote and to force a referendum. That's a good sign.



In the United Kingdom, the British Medical Association finally changed to a neutral position when it comes to the right to die in 2021, after years of opposition and a bill - although a very conservative one - has been introduced as well, it would give people that have less than six months to live an option to die. Let's be honest, this isn't nearly enough and it's a punch in the face of everyone who is suffering from chronic mental or physical pain or disabilities that severely limit the quality of life. The public strongly supports a more liberal approach to assisted suicide and the UK needs to address the public opinion on this subject.



New Zealand also passed a conservative bill in 2020 and will take effect in November 2021.



Other countries that legalized assisted suicide are Belgium (since 2002), Netherlands (since 2001) and Luxembourg (since 2009). In Switzerland it's decriminalized, attempts to ban assisted suicide via vote failed massively. In many secular societies the public opinion on assisted suicide is favorable.

Now some of you will think that some of these court rulings and bills are conservative. That's correct, but we shouldn't forget that our morals and social views are still strongly influenced by religious (mostly Christian) dogma, which considers suicide a sin and an offense. But we're slowly moving towards a more compassionate and empathic society, many of these changes that I've listed happened in the last 2 years. We gain traction, we gain attention, we're winning - and that's important. Nothing goes from 0 to 100 over night. Sometimes it takes decades to score victories on social issues. It took years to get same sex marriage legalized in many countries in the western world, 40 years ago we were basically invisible. And that's an issue that shouldn't even be controversial. Now the LGBT community, which I'm a part of, can celebrate the same rights in many regions around the world and it took time. And the right to die is the next battle ground when it comes to human rights. And I'm confident that the right to die and the implementation of legislation around it also will take years and maybe even decades. Sure. But we're moving forward. It's all about moving the overton window, once we establish that the right to die is an act of mercy as it's seen in some countries right now, we will progress faster. But we need to make the case first and take this fight in courts. We need to make arguments and explain why nobody that's suffering so much should be kept alive against their will. The Christian-conservative forces that fight us tooth and nail will lose, it's just a matter of time and a logical conclusion if we recognize the shift away from religious dogma and moral authority. The right to die and the recognition of peoples autonomy will prevail in the long run.
 
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RainAndSadness

RainAndSadness

Administrator
Jun 12, 2018
2,072
I didn't forget about this thread.

Right now there are plans to introduce a bill in South Korea that would legalise physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients.

Over 76% of Koreans support legalizing euthanasia.

Here are more information from English articles:

And of course, as always, it's doctors that obstruct efforts to implement the right to die.


In Italy the constitutional court rejected a petition to hold a referendum on euthanasia. The court argued that the proposed vote would not protect "weak and vulnerable" people. The right-to-die activists are now trying to make progress through Italy's parliament. This is definitely a setback and it affects those who are suffering the most but people aren't giving up on their rights yet.


The petition collected more than 750'000 votes. There is movement all over the globe towards are more compassionate and empathic society and while it may take decades of fighting until we've finally settled this issue, it's comforting to see that even a religious country like Italy can rally behind the needs of suffering people.
 
Euthanza

Euthanza

Self Righteous Suicide
Jun 9, 2022
1,366
Public in South Korea and Japan have not much differences regarding this fundamental issue, but Japan is in worse position due to rapid aging society. I haven't watch the movie Plan 75 but it seems the director moved from confusing premise of murd3r and voluntary euthanasia.

https://cineuropa.org/en/video/426101/

South Korea has been the first country in Asia with Death With Dignity Law in 2018 which allow patients with terminal illness to refuse life prolonging limbo treatment; While Japan still criminalizes two of their doctors for assisting suicide, just like China.

As for Indonesia, I think it will be the last on earth unfortunately, maybe after the Arabs. There had been two appeals to court, both rejected either by the law and by the normies.
 
RainAndSadness

RainAndSadness

Administrator
Jun 12, 2018
2,072
France is making some moves and they're having debates regarding assisted suicide soon. It's possible they join the few progressive countries that legalized assisted suicide so far. We will know more in 2023. French people have to come to Switzerland to receive assistance in their death, maybe very soon, French people will have the option to end their own life peacefully and with dignity in their own country. I'm optimstic, the overton window is slowly but surely moving into our favor.